Raindancer
by ladyinquisitor93
Summary: Melody Cross was lost and alone until she joined Fairy Tail. They helped her open up and grow as a person, as a wizard. Being a Dragon Slayer, for so long she had felt isolated and different, but meeting the other Dragon Slayers made her realize she and her Exceed, Suki, were not so alone after all. She grew close with her fellow Dragon Slayers but none more so than Sting Eucliffe.
1. Chapter 1

_"Aquaria! Where'd you go?!"_

 _A young girl searched everywhere for her mother, the great Water Dragon Aquaria, but she could not find her anywhere. Even when she reached a town with people like her- humans- she had no luck and the humans called her a liar when she told them a dragon had raised her._

 _"But it's the truth! Aquaria is real! Please, help me find her!"_

 _Her pleading and begging, however, fell on deaf ears. She was utterly alone, forced to wander the lands in search of the only family she had ever known. And for years, she remained alone and lost as she tried to fend for herself._

* * *

 _"Why are you crying?"_

 _The young girl sat at the base of a tree, crying into her arms. "I l-lost my m-mom and I c-can't find her... I-I'm all alone..!"_

 _"Don't be sad. I'm alone, too."_

 _The young girl looked up, surprised to see a very young talking cat standing before her- her dark blue fur and black markings glistening in the sunlight, her eyes as golden as the bracelets on her wrist. "Y-You're a t-talking cat..?"_

 _"Mmhmm!" the cat replied, smiling brightly at her.  
_

 _"W-What's your name?"_

 _"Oh, I don't have one... what's your name?"_

 _"M-Melody Cross." the young girl replied._

 _"That's a pretty name. I wish I had one, too."_

 _"I c-could give you a n-name." Melody said, sniffling as she wiped her tears._

 _The cat's eyes widened with joy and she beamed at Melody. "Really? You would do that?"_

 _Melody managed a smile at the cat's enthusiasm. "S-Sure." She thought for a few moments, then smiled as she looked at the young cat. "How about 'Suki'?"_

 _The young cat's smile grew and she rubbed her cheeks with happiness. "I love it!" She beamed at Melody. "From now on, I'll be Suki!"_

 _"It's nice to meet you, Suki."_

 _Suki's happiness overflowed as she beamed at the young girl. "So, Melody?"_

 _"What?"_

 _"Let's be friends!"_

* * *

 _"Suki, why does everyone hate me?"_

 _Suki sat next to Melody as they stopped to rest near a creek, having been run out of yet another town. "Oh, Mel, they don't hate you personally. They just don't like wizards."_

 _Melody pouted, staring at the shiny surface of the creek. "But I only want to help people... I can heal, help grow crops and make it rain during droughts... I just don't understand..." She looked down at the aquamarine stone set in the simple silver band, the ring given to her by Aquaria. "I wonder if I'll ever see her again..."_

 _"Who, Aquaria?"_

 _Melody nodded. "She was the only family I had, the only person who ever cared about me. Without her, I feel so lost."_

 _Suki put a comforting paw on her arm. "You're not alone, any more, Mel. I'm here now."_

 _Melody looked at Suki and smiled. "That's true. You're my family now, Suki." She pulled the little cat into her lap, hugging her. "Thanks, Suki."_

 _Suki settled into her arms, smiling. "Thank you, Melody. Because of you, I have a name and a purpose. I'm not alone anymore, either."_

* * *

 _"No! Leave her alone!"_

 _"Melody, help!"_

 _"Hold on, Suki!" Melody stood against a group of thugs looking for easy pickings. She was terrified, but she had to do something to save Suki from the men holding her. "Let her go!"_

 _"Or what? A little girl like you has no business here anyway. We're not afraid of you." The men taunted._

 _Melody's eyes were brimming with tears, but she knew she had to stay strong for Suki- for her only friend and family. 'I have to do something!'_

 _"Now, now, is that any way to treat a child?"_

 _Melody looked at the little old man that had come up to them, sensing an immense amount of magikal power from him._

 _"She's in our way, just as you are, old man."_

 _"I'll use a trick that works very well with my children." the old man said. "I'll give you to the count of three to release the cat and leave her and the girl alone."_

 _"Or else what? What's an old man like you going to do?"_

 _"One."_

 _"Oo, I'm so scared!"_

 _"Two."_

 _Melody looked between the old man and the thugs. 'They're distracted, now's my chance!' She lunged forward, dipping down and sweeping at their legs with her feet._

 _The old man watched with mild surprise as this young girl attacked the thugs. 'Is that Lulasodi?'_

 _Lulasodi was a martial arts studied four hundred years ago or more, another remnant lost from the time of dragons. Lulasodi was a strictly offensive martial art that focuses on clobbering one's opponent through a series of incredibly swift attacks. The primary focus was on both foot sweeps and speed, often relying on the stamina and speed of the defender._ _The biggest strength of Lulasodi was the defender's physical flexibility, which allowed for them to move and take punishments in ways others couldn't. By utilizing the sense of balance of their challenger, the defender could drive their opponent into a position they wanted them to be, giving them the opportunity to gain the upper hand._ _On the other hand the biggest weakness of Lulasodi was that there are too many different styles, so until one had mastered enough of the styles, it was really difficult not to leave an exploitable opening._

 _The old man watched as this young girl seemed to expertly use Lulasodi to take down the thugs bothering her and her cat. 'How can she have mastered it at such a young age?'_

 _"You brat!"_

 _"Melody, look out!"_

 _The old man made to step in as the thugs drew weapons- a knife, a mace, and a club- to attack the young girl, but he stopped in his tracks when she used a technique he had only seen a few times before._

 _"Water Dragon Slashing Claw!"_

 _'She's a dragon slayer?'_

 _Melody swiped at the thugs and kicked the one holding Suki in the solar plexus, freeing her friend._

 _"Are you alright, Suki?"_

 _"I'm fine."_

 _Melody glared at the thugs as they stood, their weapons ready. "Leave us alone already!" She took a deep breath. "Water Dragon Roar!"  
_

 _The old man watched as a whirlpool manifested and surrounded the thugs, sending them flying down the streets of the marketplace._

 _Melody stood straight, holding Suki in her arms as she turned towards the old man._

 _"That was quite impressive, child."_

 _Melody blushed and looked away, her shyness rising._

 _"Please forgive her, she's really shy around people." Suki said, smiling at the old man. "Thank you for trying to help us, old man."_

 _"Of course, little one. Tell me, what are your names?"_

 _"I'm Suki, and this shy girl is Melody Cross."_

 _"It's a pleasure to meet you. What are you two lovely girls doing out here alone?"_

 _"Melody and I have been travelling for a long time alone, now."_

 _"I'm looking for my mom. She disappeared and I can't find her."_

 _"I see. And what does your mother look like?"_

 _Melody looked hesitant, but Suki reassured her. "She's a big dragon, with pretty blue scales like the ocean and her name is Aquaria."_

 _"I see. You know, there's a young boy about your age that I know who's searching for his dragon, too."_

 _Melody's eyes widened. "Is he like me?"_

 _"I do believe he is, though he uses fire."_

 _Melody looked at Suki. "Another dragon slayer?"_

 _"Would you like to come with me and meet him? He may be able to help you better than I can."_

 _Melody nodded, a smile growing. "OK!"_

* * *

 _"Master, you're back!"_

 _"Hello, my children."_

 _"Who's the kid?"_

 _"She's got a cat just like Happy!"_

 _Makarov looked at Melody. "This is Melody Cross and her friend, Suki. She's looking for her mother."_

 _"Why'd you bring her here, Master? Is her mother in the guild?"_

 _"Not quite. From what she's told me, her mother is a dragon named Aquaria."_

 _"Are you serious?"_

 _"She was raised by a dragon, too?"_

 _Makarov looked at a young boy with pink hair as he came up. "Ah, Natsu. This is Melody and Suki. I told them that you may be able to help them." He looked at Melody and Suki. "This is Natsu and Happy."_

 _Natsu looked at them. "You lost your dragon, too?"_

 _Melody nodded, but said nothing._

 _"I've looked everywhere for Igneel, but I can't find him anywhere." Natsu said, sighing. "You haven't found anything at all?"_

 _Melody remained silent._

 _"I'm sorry, she's really shy." Suki said, sighing. "But to answer your question, no, we haven't been able to find anything. Melody has been searching for weeks, chasing any lead she hears."_

 _"Sounds like our Natsu." someone said._

 _Melody picked up Suki and bowed. "Thank you for your time. I'm sorry we bothered you." She turned and started to walk away._

 _"Melody, wait!"_

 _She stopped and looked at Natsu._

 _"Why don't you join Fairy Tail? You can take on jobs and look for your dragon along the way! Besides, it'd be cool having another dragon slayer around!"_

 _Melody looked at Suki, then at Makarov as he approached her._

 _"Melody, you've been on your own for a long time. If you joined Fairy Tail, you wouldn't be alone anymore. You could train with us, make new friends, and be apart of our family."_

 _"Family..?"_

 _"What do you say?"_

 _Melody looked around the guild hall, seeing so many friendly faces._

 _"Mel, we've been on the road too long. We should stay and become members of this guild." Suki said, looking up at her._

 _Melody looked at Makarov. "OK, we'll stay."_


	2. Chapter 2

Joining Fairy Tail was probably the best thing to happen in Melody Cross's life. Things started to look up for her and Suki a bit, but she felt so out of place and out of her element that she always kept to herself. She took jobs alone, ate and drank alone, didn't participate in guild events during festivals- choosing to sit back and watch. Suki would always try to get her involved with more things, but Melody was content pulling her weight around the guild hall, helping with repairs and renovations, helping clean dishes and wash clothes. And even still, she never really said a word to anyone.

As the years went by, Melody grew up and was able to pass the S-Class wizards' trials. Upon claiming the S-class rank, Melody Cross was given the nickname "Raindancer" due to her signature spell, "Heaven's Sorrow", which summoned torrential rains that followed her every movement as she danced around her enemies, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Remaining very secluded and introverted, Melody didn't have any friends and being an S-Class ranked wizard didn't help her much in that regard either. However, Gildarts was determined to change that. Proposing something fun, wild, and crazy, he managed to convince Melody to go along with him. It was the day she met Sting Eucliffe, the current guild master of Sabertooth, and it was a day that she would never forget.

* * *

 _"Gildarts, are you sure this is a good idea?"  
_

 _Gildarts chuckled. "Why not? Those Sabertooth guys have been really annoying lately."_

 _Melody sighed as they stood in the woods just outside of the Sabertooth Guildhall, wondering if she should have brought Suki with them. "Too bad Natsu was out on a job; raiding a guild like Sabertooth would have been right up his alley of fun."_

 _Gildarts smiled at her. "That he would. Now, come on, let's go have some fun. Remember the plan?"_

 _Melody nodded. "You'll create a distraction, I slip in and grab their banner, then we slip out and run."_

 _Gildarts nodded and led the way to the side of the guildhall. Giving Melody a big grin when she nodded that she was ready, he placed his hand on the wall and activated his Crash magik. The wall exploded into dust and tiny cubes, giving Melody the chance to slip in._

 _Amidst the confusion, Rogue came running out when he heard the explosion and he saw a familiar face. "Gildarts, what the hell?!"_

 _Gildarts just grinned. "Hey, long time no see, Rogue! How's it been?"_

 _Rogue's brow twitched as Gildarts walked forward, everything around him bursting into cubes. "It was good until you showed up and started destroying our guild hall." He stood and crossed his arms. "What do you want?"_

 _Gildarts shrugged and stopped in front of him. "Just stopped by to say hi. Oh, and the Master asked me to deliver a message for Sting."_

 _"What's the message?"_

 _While Gildarts continued to distract Sting and the rest of the guild, Melody had climbed up the wall and to the second floor, sneaking along the balcony railing until she reached where the banner was held in place just above the hearth._

 _'I can do this.' She thought to herself, slowly standing and reaching over the railing to pull the banner up and over. But before she could get very far, someone grabbed her from behind and pinned her against the wall._

 _"What have we here?"_

 _Melody looked up to see before her a slim, yet muscular, toned young man with spiky blond hair, slitted, dark blue eyes with a thin scar above his right eye, a crystal drop earring in his left ear, a white Sabertooth guild mark on his left shoulder. He was wearing a blue vest with golden outer edges and inner edges covered by a prominent trimming of gray fur over a short, cream top, leaving his muscular upper abdominals exposed, dark blue gloves reaching up to his mid-bicep with their upper edges being adorned by light gray bands hanging down, loose, cream-colored pants similar to Natsu's, but held up by suspenders attached to the pants' loops by square-shaped golden rings, distinctive dark blue galosh-esque footwear that reached up to his thighs and attached to the upper edge of his pants- the soles bearing rectangular protrusions pointing upwards on their front portion, like square fangs. She found herself blushing as his grip tightened slightly on her wrists as he reached up with his free hand to cup her chin._

 _The young man restraining her was Sting Eucliffe. When amber golden eyes stared up at him through teal blue locks of glossy hair, Sting found himself speechless and his cheeks burned. The young woman before him was a bit shorter than him, about his age, well built for one as petite as she was with a well endowed chest that bore the mark of the Fairy Tail Guild, her skin slightly tanned, wearing a soft periwinkle tunic with light gray leggings, a silver ring with a brilliant aquamarine stone on her left middle finger, and a pair of small silver hoop earrings in her ears. Her lips were nearly as rosy as her cheeks. This girl, she was more beautiful than any girl he had ever met._

 _Melody stared up at him, seemingly just as mesmerized as he was. She noticed his grip had loosened on her wrist, so she drew down her hands and found herself placing her hands on his chest. She could feel his heart pounding as much as hers was._

 _Sting didn't flinch when this strange woman placed her hands on his chest and found his hand moving to the side of her neck. He could feel her heart racing as much as his own._

 _'What do I do...?' they both wondered._

 _A loud commotion down below broke the spell and Melody slipped out of Sting's arms when he looked towards the commotion. She grabbed the banner and hopped onto the railing. She looked back to find Sting staring at her and she gave a small bow, smiled, then called out, "Water Dragon Roar!"_

 _Sting watched as the strange woman called out a Dragon Slayer spell, a whirlpool manifesting, then watched as she used the strength of the whirlpool to launch herself over to the wall with a giant hole in it. He looked down to see Gildarts and the strange woman wave and turn to run away with their prize in hand._

 _Rogue sighed and rubbed his temples, only looking up when Sting came down to join him. "As you can see, Fairy Tail is up to no good."_

 _Sting didn't even care about the hole in the wall, or the fact that Fairy Tail stole their banner. There was only one thing on his mind. "Did you see the girl with Gildarts?"_

 _"Yes, why?"_

 _"Who is she?"_

 _"Melody Cross, S-Class wizard nicknamed the 'Raindancer'." Rogue explained. "Why?"_

 _"She's a Dragon Slayer..."_

 _"Oh?" Rogue looked from Sting to the hole in the wall, then back to Sting. "Sting?"_

 _"Melody Cross, huh..?" Sting said aloud to himself. He found himself smiling and put his hands behind his head._

 _Rogue watched him turn away and start walking towards his room. Shaking his head, he gave out instructions to repair the damage done to the guildhall._

 _Down the road, passing through the village just outside of the Sabertooth guild hall, Gildarts and Melody came to a stop to catch their breath._

 _"That was great, Melody!" Gildarts laughed. "You should have seen their faces when you used your Dragon Roar!"_

 _Melody blushed and smiled, then her mind returned to the young man who had restrained her. "Gildarts, who's the young man with blonde hair, a scar over his right eye, crystal drop earring in his left ear? Guild mark in white on his left shoulder?"_

 _Gildarts looked at her. "That sounds like Sting Eucliffe. He's their current guild master. Why?"_

 _Melody blushed and looked down at the banner folded in her arms, a smile growing. "Sting Eucliffe..."_

 _Gildarts saw her blushing cheeks and beaming smile. He grinned and stopped in front of her. "What's this? Does the little Raindancer have a crush on the White Dragon Slayer?"_

 _Melody looked up at him. "He's a Dragon Slayer, too?"_

 _Gildarts chuckled and winked at her. "Sure is. Don't worry, I'll keep this little secret."_

 _Melody felt her blush deepen and she looked behind them at the distant Sabertooth Guildhall. Her smile grew and she looked down again at the banner, her hand smoothing out the fabric where the guild mark was. 'Sting Eucliffe, huh..?'_

* * *

Sighing to herself, Melody fiddled with the ring she bore on her middle left finger, the ring Aquaria had given her before she disappeared. 'Why did you leave me...? Why couldn't you have just stayed here...?' She stood and made her way out of the guild hall, but she was so lost in her thoughts that she ran into someone. She was almost knocked back, but whoever it was had caught her. She looked up and blushed when she saw a rather handsome young man with blonde spiky hair, brilliant blue eyes with slitted pupils, a crystal earring in his left ear, and the mark of the Sabertooth guild in white on his left shoulder. "I-It's you..!"

The young man's eyes widened, but then they softened and he smiled. "It's been awhile, Melody Cross. Are you alright?" he asked, helping her stand upright.

Melody nodded. "Y-Yes, t-thank you..." She felt her cheeks burning and she stepped back, bowing her head. "Please forgive me..!"

The young man chuckled, then looked up as Elfman came over.

"What'd you do to our little Raindancer?"

"She ran into me and fell, so I caught her and helped her back up. That's it." Sting said, grinning at the man. "Besides, what makes you think I did anything?"

Elfman rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'll take you to see Master Makarov."


	3. Chapter 3

Sting had been intrigued by Melody since the day he had met her, the day she and Gildarts stole their banner, and every chance he could, he would visit the Fairy Tail guild just to see her. He always came up with some kind of excuse to drop by, but he always made it a point to talk to her.

One day while Melody and Lucy were enjoying a cup of coffee, Sting stopped by the guild to speak with Makarov about something special. Melody raised a hand in greeting, blushing a little when he smiled. After speaking with Makarov, Sting approached the table where Lucy and Melody were sitting.

"Good morning, ladies." He said, smiling. "Fine day today, isn't it?"

Lucy looked at him suspiciously. "You've been coming to Fairy Tail quite a bit, lately. What's your game, Sting?"

"Game? There's no game, Lucy." Sting said, looking at her innocently. "It just so happens that we have a lot of business with Fairy Tail lately." He looked to Melody, blushing a little when he noticed her hair had a cute little braid running across the top of her head and tied with a bow. "I, um..." he cleared his throat. "I actually came today to personally invite Fairy Tail to a gathering that we're having at our guild hall." He smiled at Melody. "I'd love to see you there."

Melody blushed a little. "I'd love to come."

Sting's smile grew. "Great. It's in two days, semi-formal, so wear something nice." He bowed to her. "I'll see you then."

Melody's blush grew and she watched as Sting turned to leave. Cana and Mira Jane came over to join them.

"Sabertooth inviting Fairy Tail to a party, huh?" Cana looked down at Melody. "So? What're you going to where?" She asked, throwing her arm around Melody's shoulders.

Blushing a bit, Melody shrugged. "I don't know..."

Mira clapped her hands. "Time to go shopping!"

* * *

Melody stood with Lucy, Mira, and Cana as the rest of the guild filed into the Sabertooth Guildhall with the other guilds. She looked down at the dress she wore- a floor length sleeveless gown with a slit up to her mid thighs on both sides coloured a deep navy blue. It was form fitting, a soft flowing fabric. Her heels matched the colour of the dress which was a stunning contrast to her slightly tanned skin.

"Melody, are you ready?"

Melody looked up at Mira and nodded.

Cana smiled. "It's alright to be nervous, girl." She looked her up and down approvingly and smiled. "You look great, so don't worry."

Melody took a deep breath and smiled back. "Let's go."

Following the girls inside, Melody stepped into the Sabertooth guild hall for the second time. She looked around in awe, the guild hall looking very stunning. While the others went to settle into the party, Melody took the time to actually look around the guild hall. The last time she had been there, she had barely enough time to scale the wall to the second floor to retrieve the Sabertooth banner.

She walked to the large windows overlooking the forest outside and looked out at the moonlight.

"Wow..."

Melody looked to her right and smiled.

* * *

Everyone began filing into the guildhall and Sting found himself anxious. He stood with Rogue as they watched each of the guilds mingling.

"You're more anxious than I've ever seen you." Rogue noted. "All this for the Raindancer?"

Sting cleared his throat and tried to hide his blush. "It's just a formality to build relations with the other guilds."

Rogue chuckled. "You're a terrible liar, Sting." He patted his shoulder and smiled. "I'll go greet our guests while you go find Melody Cross."

Sting felt his cheeks burn a bit more as the Shadow Dragon Slayer left him alone. 'I should go find her.' he thought and began his search.

Along the way, he greeted their guests as he searched for the one person he wanted most to see that night.

"Sting!" Cana called to him as he passed by. She walked over to where he stood. "Great party, by the way."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

Cana nudged him, smiling drunkenly at him. "You know, Mel used to be really shy, but she's been all smiles and she's really opened up since she met you."

"Really? I would have never guessed."

"Mmhmm. She's really opened up and bonded with our guild since she met you." Cana pointed down the hall. "If you're looking for her, she went that way."

Sting thanked her and headed in the direction Cana had pointed. He found himself getting more and more excited to see her, his heart racing the more he thought about her. And when he found her, it felt like his heart stopped.

Standing by the eastern windows of the guildhall stood Melody Cross gazing out at the moon. The moonlight shined down on her, illuminating her slightly tanned skin and teal hair. Sting stared at her, taking in her image. She wore a sleeveless, form fitting, floor length deep navy blue dress with mid thigh high slits in the sides and matching heels. The upper half of her hair was pulled up and partially braid, a braid running along the top of her head, and the rest hung down in teal cascades that reached the small of her back. She wore blue crystal drop earrings, and a circlet of light gold and blue crystals with a matching necklace. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Wow..."

Melody turned to face him and smile. "Hello, Sting."

Sting felt his cheeks burning and he found himself speechless.

Melody's cheeks began to burn and she clasped her hands in front of her. "What? Is there something on my face?" She reached up to touch her cheek, but Sting shook himself out of his trance and stepped forward, taking her hand in his.

"No, there's nothing." He offered her a smile. "Forgive me for staring, Melody, but you're just so gorgeous I couldn't help it."

Melody looked up at him, her cheeks burning even more. "T-Thank you..."

Sting smiled, then presented her with a light blue rose. "This is for you."

Melody smiled and took the rose. She reached up and situated it in her hair between the braids. "How does it look?"

Sting smiled. "It looks wonderful." He still had her hand in his, so he took it and placed it on his arm. "Would you like a full tour of the guildhall?"

Melody nodded. "I'd like that."


	4. Chapter 4

The party was in full swing and everyone was enjoying themselves. Sting and Melody had been walking around the guild hall, Sting showing her around and Melody taking it all in. When they had reached his office, Sting blushed a bit.

"Well, that's everything."

Melody looked around his office, stepping away to gently touch the spines of the numerous books lining the shelves. "Wow..." Her smile grew when she looked back at him. "You have so many books here that I haven't seen before!"

Sting couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Ya?" He came to stand next to her, reaching up to pull one book off a shelf. "This one is my favourite." He blushed as he showed it to her, letting her take it from him to look through it. It was a book filled with folk tales and legends and myths, stories of fantastical beings and heroes.

Melody giggled as she read through one of the shorter legends, then looked up at Sting. "I can see why this is your favourite book. There's many stories within it, each unique and special in its own way." She looked down at the book, closing it gently and handing it back to him. "I should find a copy myself and read it."

Sting looked at her, pleasantly surprised, then shook his head and smiled. "Borrow it then."

"What?"

"Borrow it, then when you've finished reading it you can bring it back." Sting said, his cheeks burning as he glanced away and rubbed his neck. "You're welcome to read any of these books." He looked back at her. "You're welcome here, any time you'd like."

Melody stared at him, surprised. Her cheeks burned and she clutched the book to her chest, a smile growing. She beamed at him. "Thank you, Sting." She reached up and placed a soft, warm kiss on his cheek before stepping back. "Come on, we should get back before the others start to worry."

Sting stood there for a moment, stunned, then made to hurry after her as she headed back towards the guild hall. Before they turned the corner to take the stairs back down to where the party was, Sting reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her.

Melody turned to see what the matter was only to find herself blushing just as she had earlier that night. They stood on the balcony above the guild hall, where she had first met Sting, and the large bay window allowed the moonlight to shine upon them. She really began to notice his handsome features, the way the moonlight turned his blonde hair silver, the way it illuminated his fair skin and danced off his crystal earring. He had worn a black two piece suit with a navy blue tie, just adding to his dashing appearance. It caught her off guard and she found herself unable to find any words to speak in that moment.

Sting held onto her hand, wanting to say something- anything- only to lose his train of thought as the moonlight illuminated her appearance as it had earlier. They stood there, speechless, eyes locked, cheeks burning. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but then moment was interrupted as something came through the bay window, shattering the glass. Breaking the spell the two Dragon Slayers seemed to be under, the cause of the commotion grabbed Melody and took off through the window again.

"Melody!" Sting cried out, then turned and jumped from the balcony to the floor below.

"Sting, what's happened?" someone asked.

Rogue looked at Sting and saw anger, worry, and fear etched across his face.

"Someone's taken Melody!" Sting yelled, ignoring everyone calling out to him as he ran out of the guild hall and started after whoever or whatever took Melody.

"Oh no, Mel!"

"Come on guys, we have to get her back!"

Rogue watched as the members of Fairy Tail and even members of the other guilds who knew Melody Cross well ran after Sting to assist in any way they could. "Sabertooth, move out! Find Melody Cross and protect the guild master at all costs!"

Already a mile ahead of the others, Sting had caught Melody's scent and followed it into the woods. Whatever or whoever took her was going to pay dearly if they hurt her.

'What if she's hurt?' Sting shook his head. 'No, don't think about that. Just get her back.' He told himself. He sniffed the air again and turned east, following it to a cliff that overlooked a large valley. He stared down into the valley, seeing a caravan hurrying out of the woods. A scream came from the direction of the caravan, and someone called out his name. "Melody!"

Just as the others were catching up to him, he took off down the side of the cliff- activating his Dragon Force- and ran towards where he had seen the caravan. Behind him, Wendy and Natsu had caught up with him thanks to Carla and Happy.

"Sting, wait!"

Sting barely acknowledged their presence, not even when his own Exceed had joined them. Another scream had gotten his attention and he turned north, following it. He caught Melody's scent on the wind and tried to pick up his pace. 'Hold on, Melody!'

Behind him, Natsu and Wendy were not far behind.

"Natsu, do you smell that?" Wendy asked.

"Ya, that's Mel but something's wrong." Natsu said, sniffing the air.

Sting had caught the scent as well and his eyes widened in fear. 'Blood!'

Just as the three Dragon Slayers had caught the scent of blood mixed with Melody's scent, they came out of the woods and stopped in front of a wooden bridge. On the other side was the caravan and with it, Melody. She was fighting against whoever was holding her, but she was losing. She cried out for Sting again, but someone hit her on the back of her head, knocking her unconscious.

"Mel!"

"Natsu, what do we do?" Wendy asked.

"We go after her of course!"

They looked over as Lector told Sting to wait a moment, but the look Sting had in his eyes was dark.

Sting was relieved to see Melody unharmed, smelling the blood on another, but when she was hit on the head and slumped forward- a trail of blood making its way down her face- he felt rage. He started making his way across the bridge towards the caravan, the intensity of his magik power growing as the white aura swirled around him. Whoever had taken Melody stood at the other side, laughing as they fired spells at him to try and knock him off the bridge. The spells didn't even phase him and he continued to advance.

Sensing his rage, the kidnappers panicked and became desperate, cutting the ropes of the wooden bridge. Lector, seeing this, sprang into action and grabbed hold of Sting before he could fall.

"Lector, we need to go after them."

"You need to calm down, Sting! We can't help her if you go charging in like that!" Lector insisted, taking him back over to the other side and setting him down with Natsu and the others.

Sting looked across the gulch as the caravan continued on its way, the kidnappers laughing in victory. His fists clenched and he forced himself to calm down a bit.

"Let's go back to the guild and see if we can figure out what to do." Lector said, looking at his partner worriedly.

Sting ignored him and started heading back the way they had come. When Wendy tried to tell him it'd be OK, that they'd get Melody back, he turned and glared at her. "We should be going after her now! She's hurt! Who knows what they're going to do to her, who they are or what they want! And you would rather let them get away with this? Isn't she your guild mate? Your friend?"

Natsu punched him at that, knocking him to the ground and glaring at him. "Don't think for a second that we don't want to go after her, too. Mel is our friend, she's a member of Fairy Tail! She's not just some damsel in distress either! She's a Dragon Slayer and she can handle herself until help can arrive!" He stepped back and sighed, his fists still clenched. "Mel has been like a sister to all of us, even being so shy. She was always so alone, didn't have any friends, but she always did everything to help out wherever she could. Then Gildarts took her to Sabertooth and they stole your banner, and when they got back it was like she was a new person." He looked at Sting as he sat up. "After she met you, Sting, Mel opened up to people. She made friends and she's been like a sister to us, always looking after us. We won't just abandon her; we'll fight to get her back."

Sting sat there, his jaw throbbing, and he looked down at his feet. "What am I doing...?" He put his face in his hands. "Why do I feel like I failed her...?"

"Love."

Everyone looked up at Carla as she said that.

Carla crossed her arms and regarded Sting sternly. "You're falling in love. Melody Cross has caught your attention, stolen your heart, and you're fighting to protect her." Her gaze softened a bit and she sighed. "I've been watching you, Sting Eucliffe. Ever since you started coming to Fairy Tail, for months now no less, you always find an excuse to talk to Melody, to spend time with her. This party, it wasn't just for the guilds was it?"

Sting blushed and looked away.

"Your silence says enough." Carla marched up to him and put her paws on his arms. "What you need to do now is ask yourself this: what is Melody Cross to you, truly? Why do you fight so hard to protect her, to make her smile and laugh? What is it that makes you try for her?"

Sting looked at the little Exceed, knowing she was right.

Carla patted his arm, seeing his answer clearly in his eyes. "Then you need to remain calm, look at all of our options, formulate a plan to retrieve her, and then we go together to rescue our dear Water Dragon Slayer."

Sting sighed, accepting Natsu's hand and letting him help him to stand.

"There you are!"

They looked back to see everyone had finally caught up with them.

Mira Jane stepped forward, looking at Sting. "What happened?"

"Someone kidnapped Melody, disappeared through those woods." Wendy said. "They had black fist emblems and they were mages."

"Black fist emblem...?"

Wendy nodded. "Do you know who they are, Mira?"

"They're from Black Stonefist."

Everyone looked at Sting.

"Sting, are you sure?" Rogue asked. "I thought we got rid of them years ago."

"So did I."

"Who's Black Stonefist?"

"They're a dark guild that specialize in earth magik." Makarov explained, coming up to them. "They were a menace in this area, though I had heard that they were defeated by the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth."

"They're trying to get back at us now." Sting said, his eyes narrowed. "Taking Melody was a big mistake." He looked at Makarov. "We need to get her back."

"Believe me, my boy, we will."

"Ya, now they're messing with Sabertooth and Fairy Tail."

Sting looked at the woods, his chest tight. 'Hold on, Melody... I'm coming for you..."


	5. Chapter 5

Melody stirred, her head pounding, and she looked around to find herself in some sort of cell.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to finally wake up."

Melody looked at the cell door, seeing a couple gruff looking men leering at her. "Who are you?" She caught a glimpse of a black fist emblem on their skin and her eyes widened. "You're Black Stonefist...!"

"Right you are, pretty lady."

"What do you want with me?"

"We've been watching you for a long time, you and those Sabertooth wizards."

"You see, they forced us to disband awhile back and we decided to get back at them."

"You were using your magik to extort money from poor villages and you hurt anyone who refused to abide! Sting and Rogue stopped you for good reason! You bastards should have been taken to the Council!"

"Ooo, she's fiesty! I like it!"

"Ya, and look at her in that dress. She's pretty damn hot; wonder if the boss will let us have a bit of fun with her."

"First thing's first, Row, the boss wants to see her."

Melody stood, glaring at the dark wizards.

"Come on, little lady, boss wants to see you."

Melody, sensing she had no other choice, stepped out of her cell and followed the men through the halls and into a large room. 'This must be their guild hall... but Sting and Rogue destroyed it...'

"Boss, we brought the girl."

"Ah, welcome to Black Stonefist's new guild hall."

Melody looked at the man, a tall and muscular man with black hair and tan skin. "Why am I here?"

"You're here as my guest, of course."

"Really? So kidnapping people and throwing them into a dingy cell is your way of greeting guests?"

"I'm not very good with first impressions, am I?" the man chuckled. "My apologies. Allow me to start over."

Melody watched as he stood, making his way over to her.

"I am Tigon Drudar, Master of the newly reestablished Black Stonefist Guild." He bowed, a seemingly innocent smile present. "And you are Melody Cross, S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail, Water Dragon Slayer, and master of the lost martial arts, Lulasodi."

"If you know who I am, then you must know what a grave mistake you've made by kidnapping me. Not only will you have Fairy Tail hounding you, but you will have every legal guild in Fiore at your heels. Especially Sabertooth."

"And that is what I'm counting on." Tigon said, smirking. "You see, the former master of this guild was too simple minded. He sought after only money."

"And what is it that you want?" Melody asked, trying to remain on guard. "Why are you counting on Sabertooth coming after me? Is it revenge?"

"Bingo!" Tigon smiled. "You see, I have more ambitious goals for this guild. Money will always be a perk, but Sabertooth must pay for humiliating Black Stonefist. Once they've been taken out, we're rearing for all over legal guilds until there is nothing but dark guilds left in Fiore."

Melody scoffed at that. "You really believe that you can defeat the two strongest wizard guilds in Fiore? As well as the other legal guilds supporting them?"

"Not on my own, but alas dear Raindancer, that is why you're here." Tigon advanced towards her, chuckling. "You're going to help me."

"You're mad if you think I'd turn against my friends and family."

"You won't be given a choice."

Melody felt a sudden surge of power and looked at her feet, seeing a magik circle beneath her. "W-What are you doing?"

Tigon gripped her chin and lifted it up, forcing her to look at him. "You're going to be my new pet, dear Melody. You're going to do as I say, and if you resist, you'll experience unbearable pain and agony." He stepped back and activated his spell, grinning as Melody cried out in pain.

* * *

Miles away, as she sat with the other exceeds, Suki cried out in pain and held her head.

"Suki! What's wrong?"

Suki felt tears in her eyes and felt the fear and pain coarsing through her body for only a moment. "Melody...!"

Sting looked at her. "Is she alright?"

Suki looked at him and shook her head. "They're hurting her...!" She cried out again as another wave of fear and pain hit her, this one leaving her unconscious.

"Suki!"

Pantherlily caught her as she started to slump back, laying her down gently on the table.

"What was that?"

"Body Link?"

"Ever since Suki and Melody met, it would seem that their bond is stronger than what Body Link magik could produce." Makarov said. "Someone please take her to the infirmary."

Lucy offered and picked up the little exceed, hurrying to the infirmary.

"Master, what do we do? Melody is hurt. Who knows what else they might do to her."

Makarov sighed, then looked to Sting. "We'll find her, my boy. Just have faith that she'll pull through."

Sting didn't say a word and turned to leave the room, just wanting to be alone.

For weeks they had been searching for Melody, but no further sign of her had been found. And all the while, Sting blamed himself for everything that happened.

"Sting?"

Sting looked down to see that Lector had caught up with him, along with Rogue and Frosch. "I failed her..."

"It wasn't your fault, Sting." Rogue said. "You shouldn't beat yourself up so much."

"If I hadn't had that stupid party, if I had just kept a better eye on things..."

"You shouldn't blame yourself, Sting. If anything, we all failed her." Lector said. "No one could get to her in time before Black Stonefist took off with her."

Sting punched the wall. "I still failed her..."

Rogue and the exceeds looked at each other as Sting walked off, his head hanging.

"Rogue, we'll find Mel right?"

"I hope so..."


	6. Chapter 6

**Four months later...**

"Are you sure?"

Natsu nodded. "Ya, it's them."

Sting felt a sense of relief, but it was overshadowed with the same fear and pain that had plagued him for weeks. "You said they're in Taernsby?"

"From what information Blue Pegasus was able to gather, it would seem the most likely location of the Black Stonefist's guild hall." Erza said.

"So, what's your plan then?" Rogue asked.

"We will need to infiltrate Black Stonefist once we find it." Erza explained. "Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus have offered to help as well. We'll need to spread out and search the town for any sign of where their guild hall is located. Warren will keep everyone in the loop with his telepathy."

"Then let's go."

* * *

"This place is bigger than I thought it would be..."

Taernsby was a large town situated in the mountains near Oak Town, surrounded by lush and thick woods, with a population of nearly three thousand. It was was not widely known by most of Fiore, but it was known by some for its trade- consisting of fresh produce, jewelry, and silks.

"We need to spread out."

A selected number of members from Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, and Blue Pegasus fanned out and searched the streets of Taernsby, looking for any sign of Black Stonefist or Melody Cross.

An hour or so went by and Warren connected everyone with his telepathy for an update. While everyone reported in, Sting looked around- feeling a strange yet familiar presence.

He bumped into someone wearing a large cloak with their hood up and he sniffed the air when a familiar scent caught his attention. He turned and stared after the stranger. "Melody?"

Rogue, who had been reporting in, looked at Sting. "Sting?"

Sting started making his way after the stranger, wanting so badly to be right. A wind blew through the town, the scent stronger than before. "It's her!" He took off running when the stranger broke for it, trying to lose them in the crowd.

"Sting, wait!" Rogue ran after him. 'I think we just found Melody!'

'Where?'

'Northeast end of town. Sting and I are in pursuit.'

While the others conferred on a plan of action, Sting ran after the stranger as they took off down an alleyway. 'It's her, I know it is!' He followed the stranger through alleyways and streets until they slipped inside a inconspicuous looking building.

"Sting, wait!"

Sting stopped when Rogue grabbed his arm. "It's Melody, I know it is. We have to go in there, we have to get her back!"

Rogue sighed. "I know, Sting, but charging in without any backup could be dangerous. Do you really think that Melody would want you to get hurt trying to save her?"

Sting looked away, clenching his fists and grinding his teeth. "No..."

"We need to wait for the others to get here. Fairy Tail is on their way right now. Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus are on standby, keeping an eye out for any Black Stonefist members."

"Sting!"

Sting and Rogue looked behind them to see that Erza, Natsu, Gray, Wendy, and Lucy had found them.

"She's in there?"

Sting nodded. "I'm positive it was her."

Natsu sniffed the air. "He's right. I can smell her, too."

"That must be their guild hall."

Wendy sniffed the air. "I think you're right. I can smell the same guys from that night, the ones who took Mel."

"The ones who hurt her, you mean." Sting snarled, looking towards the building. "We need to get in there."

"I agree. Let's storm the place!" Natsu added.

"We need to be careful, this may be a trap." Lucy said.

"True, but we are more than capable of handling simple dark wizards as these." Rogue said. "They were no trouble when Sting and I eliminated them last time. We can do it again."

"Very well." Erza said. "Let's go."

* * *

Inside, the stranger that Sting had followed knelt before the guild master of Black Stonefist. "Sir, there are a number of newcomers to Taernsby."

Tigon looked at them with interest. "Oh? Tourists?"

"No, some among them bear the emblem of Sabertooth."

"Good, they've finally found us then." Tigon chuckled. "About time, I was beginning to get bored."

"What are your orders?"

"They'll probably storm the guild hall and try to take their beloved Raindancer back by force. I say let them try."

And just as he spoke those words, the doors burst open and shattered into pieces.

"See? I was correct." Tigon said, looking towards the doors as a group of people entered. "Welcome, friends!"

"Cut the crap, loser, where is our friend?"

Tigon looked at the one who spoke, seeing a red Fairy Tail emblem on his arm and fire dancing in his hands. "Ah, Natsu Dragneel, the Salamander of Fairy Tail." He looked at the others. "And I see that you brought friends. But tell me, who among you are the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth?"

Sting and Rogue stepped forward and Sting glared at him.

"That would be us. Now, I'm going to give you a choice: hand over Melody Cross and we'll go easy on you, or we can do it the hard way."

Tigon leaned back in his chair and regarded them with amusement. "Interesting. Though, there's a problem with your logic."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"Melody Cross is here of her own free will." Tigon said, grinning darkly at them. "She's here as my guest, not my prisoner."

"That's a load of crap!" Sting said, glaring at him. "You bastards kidnapped her and you hurt her! You're going to pay for that!"

Tigon sighed. "I see. Well, then perhaps things will have to go the hard way after all." He looked at the cloaked stranger. "Would you deal with these pests, my pet?"

"Of course."

The stranger that Sting had followed lunged forward, attacking with incredible speed.

"Sting! Rogue!"

Sting and Rogue stumbled back, steadying themselves as they stared at the stranger.

"Who are you?" Erza demanded. "What have you done with our friend?"

"I am Master Tigon Drudar. And this is my pet." He looked at the cloaked stranger. "Do go ahead and remove that dreadful cloak. You're friends have missed you."

Sting's eyes- along with everyone else's- widened as the stranger removed the cloak and revealed their identity. "Melody?"

Before them stood someone who looked like Melody Cross, but there was a darkness about her and strange black markings on her cheeks. He hair was longer, wavier, and her clothes were different, but she still had the same circlet, necklace, and earrings that she had worn to the party where they had last seen her.

Natsu sniffed the air. "No way..!"

"Why is she attacking us?"

"You see, Melody Cross is indeed a guest of mine, but it was rather difficult to convince her." Tigon said, standing. "So I cast a little spell and turned her into my pet."

Sting's anger was beginning to well as he watched Tigon come up behind Melody, leaning down and licking her neck and cheek. "Get away from her!" He lunged for Tigon, but Melody stepped in front of him and parried Sting's attacks.

"Haha! Try as you might, my pet will not let you pass!" Tigon sneered. "This is the price Sabertooth must pay for disgracing Black Stonefist as you did! Once your precious Raindancer has finished you off, the rest of your guild and all other legal guilds are next. I'll see to it that she destroys every last one of you!"

"Like hell you will!" Natsu said, lunging for him.

"Still never listen, do you?" Melody said, leaping in front of him. "Learn your place! Mystic Deluge!"


End file.
